Is the highest-protein entrée at Olive Garden a good order?

It depends on your calorie budget. The Chicken Tortelloni Alfredo has the most protein of any single entrée on Olive Garden’s menu at 112g, but it’s also 1,980 calories, which is close to the 2,000 calories a day used for general nutrition advice.

What can I order at Olive Garden that isn’t 1,500+ calories?

The Grilled Chicken Margherita is 650 calories with 65g of protein, about 10 calories per gram of protein. The Herb-Grilled Salmon is 610 calories with 45g of protein; with one breadstick and a salad with dressing, that order comes to 900 calories and 52g of protein.

How much protein is in Chicken Alfredo, Grilled Chicken Margherita, and Herb-Grilled Salmon?

Chicken Alfredo has 79g of protein (1,480 calories) with grilled chicken, or 67g (1,710 calories) with crispy chicken fritta. The Grilled Chicken Margherita has 65g (650 calories), and the Herb-Grilled Salmon has 45g (610 calories).

Do the breadsticks and salad add a lot of calories?

They can. Each breadstick with garlic topping adds 140 calories and 4g of protein, and they’re unlimited, so they add up fast. The house salad is 70 calories without dressing, or 150 calories and 3g of protein with the Signature Italian dressing.

How do I compare Olive Garden entrées if I care about calories too?

Compare protein to calories, not just protein. The Chicken Tortelloni Alfredo works out to about 18 calories per gram of protein, while the Grilled Chicken Margherita is about 10 and the Herb-Grilled Salmon about 14.

Eatery Insights

What I order at Olive Garden for work dinners

By Kyle Sanders·Updated September 25, 2026

If you're going out to eat Italian for dinner and choose Olive Garden, exploring their menu and trying to find something ‘healthy’ can be difficult. From the nearly 2,000-calorie Chicken Tortelloni Alfredo to the unlimited breadsticks, their normal menu can make hitting your goals a challenge. Instead of defaulting to the first grilled chicken item that you see on the menu, you can use the Eatery App to explore the menu by your nutrition goals like calories, protein and more.

The irony of going out to eat and ordering the highest-protein item is that it's not necessarily the healthiest order for you. Many of Olive Garden's high-protein items are also very high in calories. So if you are exploring the menu through the Eatery App, also evaluate each item’s “golden ratio”: how its protein stacks up against its calories. My rule of thumb is about 10 calories for every 1 gram of protein.

The last time I went to Olive Garden, I ordered the Herb-Grilled Salmon (610 calories, 45g protein).

Highest protein ≠ best order

Eatery’s full list of high-protein Olive Garden options ranks raw protein. Chicken Tortelloni Alfredo tops that list (1980 cal / 112g protein) — that’s a lot of protein and a lot of calories. For work dinners I care about protein and not blowing the day. Prefer grilled or margherita-style chicken builds and check Eatery or the official PDF before you order.

My go-to order

What I order	Cal	Protein	Source
Herb-Grilled Salmon	610	45g	Olive Garden official nutrition (Aug 2026)

Official side note (Olive Garden official nutrition, Aug 2026): the grilled chicken add-on is 130 cal / 26g protein — useful if you customize.

Quick reference: max protein vs. better ratio (Olive Garden official nutrition, Aug 2026)

Item	Cal	Protein	Note
Chicken Tortelloni Alfredo	1980	112g	Max protein, calorie bomb
Chicken Parmigiana (dinner)	1020	64g	About 16 cal per gram of protein
Grilled Chicken Margherita	650	65g	Usually better ratio (about 10 cal per gram)
Herb-Grilled Salmon	610	45g	Solid if you want fish
Grilled chicken add-on	130	26g	Useful if you customize

Source: Olive Garden official nutrition (Aug 2026). Entrée numbers are as served; breadsticks and salad are extra.

Keep exploring

Filter Olive Garden by protein & calories in Eatery before the work dinner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the highest-protein entrée at Olive Garden a good order?: It depends on your calorie budget. The Chicken Tortelloni Alfredo has the most protein of any single entrée on Olive Garden’s menu at 112g, but it’s also 1,980 calories, which is close to the 2,000 calories a day used for general nutrition advice.
What can I order at Olive Garden that isn’t 1,500+ calories?: The Grilled Chicken Margherita is 650 calories with 65g of protein, about 10 calories per gram of protein. The Herb-Grilled Salmon is 610 calories with 45g of protein; with one breadstick and a salad with dressing, that order comes to 900 calories and 52g of protein.
How much protein is in Chicken Alfredo, Grilled Chicken Margherita, and Herb-Grilled Salmon?: Chicken Alfredo has 79g of protein (1,480 calories) with grilled chicken, or 67g (1,710 calories) with crispy chicken fritta. The Grilled Chicken Margherita has 65g (650 calories), and the Herb-Grilled Salmon has 45g (610 calories).
Do the breadsticks and salad add a lot of calories?: They can. Each breadstick with garlic topping adds 140 calories and 4g of protein, and they’re unlimited, so they add up fast. The house salad is 70 calories without dressing, or 150 calories and 3g of protein with the Signature Italian dressing.
How do I compare Olive Garden entrées if I care about calories too?: Compare protein to calories, not just protein. The Chicken Tortelloni Alfredo works out to about 18 calories per gram of protein, while the Grilled Chicken Margherita is about 10 and the Herb-Grilled Salmon about 14.

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